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FROWLE PORTRAIT 



WASHINGTOiN 



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CHAR 



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SALEM, MAiiiS. 

H^t (Sslen Institute 

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AN 

ETCHED PROFILE PORTRAIT 



OF 



WASHINGTON 

By 
JOSEPH HILLER 

1794 



By 
CHARLES HENRY HART 



SALEM, MASS. 

%fit (1.00(1 Jn&tituU 
1907 



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Gift 
Author 



AN ETCHED PROFILE PORTRAIT OF 

WASHINGTON BY JOSEPH 

KILLER, JR., 1794. 



BT CHARLES HENRY HART. 



To the Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, 
Vol. XVI, p. 161, I had the honor to contribute a brief 
" Notice of a Portrait of Washington." The portrait there 
noticed was the etciied profile made by Joseph Wright, in 
1790, and at the period I wrote, 1879, we were in our in- 
fancy in the study of Washington iconography ; indeed 
that "Notice" was my first important contribution, in 
print, to the subject. Since then I have published enough 
to have earned the illustrious name of " Washington," 
as a sobriquet, and while engaged in the preparation of my 
Catalogue of the Enqraved Portraits of Washington, issued 
by the Grolier Club, New York, January, 1904, in a 
sumptuous quarto of 406 pages, I discovered in the cabi- 
net of the Massachusetts Historical Society, an etched pro- 
file of Wasliington, which was new to me and evidently 
copied from the one by Wright, signed "J HILLER Ju' 
Sculp'- 1794." Ill seeking the history of this print, I 
found, in the Proceedings of the Society, for February 12, 
1874, (Vol. 13, p. 243) the following note ,— 

(8) 



4 AN ETCHED PROFILE PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON 

Mr. Brooks presented, in the name of Mr. A. H. Safford, of 
Cambridge, a pen and ink sketch of Washington, executed by 
J. Hiller Jr., in 1794. Mr. Safford 's belief was that the min- 
iature was presented by General Washington to Captain 
Thomas Hartshorn, of Eeading, who died in 1819. It had 
been in Mr. Safford's possession for over fifty years, he hav- 
ing been a foster son of Captain Hartshorn. The drawing is 
sketched on the back of a playing card, — the ten of diamonds. 
The name of " George Washington " is inscribed on a scroll 
beneath the picture and beneath the oval, in which the picture 
is enclosed, is, " J. Hiller, Jr. scrip (or sculp.) 1794." 

This note is a curiosity for its stupid errors. The pro- 
file was, of course, neither " a pen and ink sketch," a "min- 
iature " or a " drawing," and there is not the least likeli- 
hood that Washington presented it to Captain Hartshorn.* 
It is what is technically known as a dry point etching and 
is printed on the back of a ten of diamonds playing card. 
I am saved from a minute description of the print by the 
impressions from the original copper plate which accom- 
pany this monograph. 

As has often been said nothing can be claimed as unique 
that has emanated from the press, so, close upon the heels 
of this fiyid, in the cabinet of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society, in Boston, I was sent by C. W. Darling, 
of Utica, New York, a reproduction of a similar etching, 
which he had given to the Oneida Historical Society, 
with this inscription ; 

" Gen. Washington, 1794. The original of this portraiture, 
presented by Gen. Darling, Corresponding Secretary of the 
Oneida Historical Society, was given by an artist named J. 
Hiller, Jr., in 1794 to Harriet Paine,t then a young lady of 
sixteen. At a reception the artist took from his pocket a 
package of playing cards and on the back of the King of Clubs, 
began this sketch of Washington." 

The errors of this inscription are as amusing as those 
already noticed, both of which are only fair examples of 
the romances that hang around so many portraits of the 

"Capt. Hartsborn married Abigail Cleveland, aunt ot young Joseph Hiller, and 
no doubt received the print from his nephew. 
tXbe Cleveland and Faine families intermarried. 



BY JOSEPH HILLEE, JR., 1794. 5 

Father of his Country, which it has been my province and 
duty to correct and expose. From the two impressions of 
the Hiller etching of Washington I gleaned the imforma- 
tion contained in my catalogue where the following des- 
cription will be found on page 66. 

" 140 J. Hiller, Jr. 

Bust, profile to right, in uniform. Title, on rib- 
bon, below bust. Oval, of a single line, without 
background. Dry-point etching. 

G. WASHINGTON/ J HILLER JU« SCULP'^- 1794/. 

Oval height, 2. 9. Oval widtli, 1. 14. 

This is an extremely close copy of the Wright etching, 
No. 138, but without a worked background. All the im- 
pressions that I know are printed on the backs of playing 
cards." 

A few months after the publication of my Grolier Club 
volume I received a communication from the Secretary of 
the Essex Institute, who wrote as follows : — 

" A friend of mine and a member of the Essex Institute, 
has in her possession two interesting profiles of Washington, 
etched in 1794, by Joseph Hiller, only son of Major Joseph 
Hiller of Salem. The etching may familiarly be called card 
photograph in size and very generally resembles the rare etch- 
ing by Joseph Wright. The Essex Institute owns a very 
beautiful seal, cut in London for Major Hiller and showing in 
profile the head of Washington. The etching by his son, I am 
inclined to think, may have been made for the purpose of 
sending to London a representation for the use of the seal 
cutter, for the portrait cut upon the seal and the etching are 
neraly identical. The etching, of which two copies are known 
to exist, is now in the possession of a descendant of Major 
Hiller and I am writing to j'ou at this time, not only to bring 
to your attention this, to me, interesting portrait of Washing- 
ton, but also to inquire in behalf of its present owner, if the 
two copies in her possession may not have a commercial value 
that may warrant the sale of the same." 

Here then were two more original prints of the Hiller 
etching of Washington and what is yet more remarkable 



6 AN ETCHED PROFILE PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON 

these two impressions were clearly what would be de- 
scribed, chalcographically, as two different states, the first 
and second. The lettering of the first state corresponded 
with that given in Hart 140, and of the second state, with 
the plate as it now exists. The differences are veiy slight, 
the only important change being the addition of "Nl", 
in the lower right corner of the margin. There are also 
dots or periods, " .", added after " AVashington," " J ", 
"Ju"-", and "1794"; and "Sculp*", is "Sculp". I had 
the pleasure of disposing of these prints and now am able 
to communicate additional information relative to the Jos- 
eph Hillers, father and son, furnishing some interesting 
data concerning this early Massachusetts engraver. 

Joseph Hiller, Jr., was born in Salem, Mass., June 21, 
1777, and was drowned August 22, 1795, being washed 
overboard from a vessel off the Cape of Good Hope, so 
that he was only in his seventeenth year when he essayed 
the copy of Wright's etching of Washington. He was the 
fourth child, and only son, of six children born to Major 
Josejjh Hiller (1748-1814) and his wife Margaret Cleve- 
land (1748-1804). His father was a revolutionary ofiicer 
who led " a nnifomied company from Salem, on the day of 
the Lexington fight. The uniform of this company was 
quite elaborate and fully vindicates the truthfulness of 
Col. Trumbull's painting'. It consisted of a green coat, 
white waist-coat and breeches, black gaiters, cocked hat 
with three black feathers and ruffles."* He saw active 
service in August, 1778, in Rhode Island, where he com- 
manded a company of volunteers from Salem. •)■ In 1784, 
he was appointed by the General Court of Massachusetts 
and commissioned by Governor Hancock, to collect the 
custom revenues at the port of Salem, which appointment 
was confirmed by commission from President Washington, 
August 5, 1789, as first Collector of the Port of Salem 
under the government of the United States. This office 
Major Hiller held until August 12, 1802, when he was 
superceded by President Jefferson and there hangs in the 

•Eantours Port of Salem. Essex Institute Historical Cullections, Vol. x, pt. 1, 
p. 65. 

tLetter from Joseph Hiller to Major Spraene, dated " Camp before Newport, 
August 21, 1778." Essex Institute Historical Collections, Vol. xxiz, p. 167. 



BY JOSEPH HILLEB, JR. 1794. 7 

Custom House at Salem, a portrait of him, painted from 
life, which was picseuted by his descendants. He is said 
to have been " the first American by birth who espoused 
the doctrines of Swedenborg." He was a Mason and ad- 
mitted to Essex Lodge, January 25, 1780, elected Master, 
March 30, and re-elected under the new charter when the 
Lodge was re-established, July 5, 1791.* In early life 
Major Hiller was a silversmith! and jewellerj and was 
possessed of " great mechanical ingenuity. "§ It was un- 
doubtedly this last quality, with the taste that was natur- 
ally acquired from following the artistic trades of silver- 
smith and jeweller, transmitted from father to son, that led 
the youth of seventeen to attempt tiie engraving of the 
Washington profile and doubtless the father, from his trade 
experience, was able to instruct his son in the mechanical 
part of his work, for in the early days every practical 
silversmith and jeweller understood something of chasing 
and engraving which were very important branches of 
their business. This plate, too, it will be remembered, is 
" dry-point etching " — engraved with the point and not 
bitten in with acid, and as far as is known is the only 
attempt of Joseph Hiller, Jr., at engraving. The suppo- 
sition that this etching was primarily made, to be sent 
to England, for the use of the gem engraver, employed 
by Major Hiller, to cut in stone, at a cost of ii20,*| 
the seal, with the profile head of Washington, now in the 
cabinet of the Essex Institute, seems very reasonable. The 
profiles are as much alike as an intaglio cut in hard stone 
could be to a flat one engraved on soft copper, in addition 
to which they both face in the same direction, which would 
indicate copying without reversing, the easiest method for 
an ordinary copyist, and which reverses the head when im- 
pressed in wax. Nor is it too much a stretch of the imag- 
ination to conceive that the Wright etching copied by 
young Hiller, was the identical impression that belonged to 

*Le*Titt's History of E.<)sex Lodge. Essex Institute Historical Collections. Vol. 
III. p. 123. 

tEssez Institute Historical Collections. Vol. it. p. 11. 
till. Vol. X. pt. 1, p. 65. 

tcieTeland's Genealogy of the ClereUod and Cleareland Families. Hartford, 
ll5». Vol. I. p. 434. 

TEssex Institute Historical Collections, Vol. X. pt. 1, p. 66, states tbat the sum 
of £tO, but living descendants name £20, as the correct amount. 



8 AN ETCHED PROFILE POBTKAIT OF ■WASHTNQTON 

Benjamin Goodhue and which was the subject of my for- 
mer communication to the Essex Institute. Stranger co- 
incidences than this have happened and this is not at all 
an unreasonable supposition while it may be a hopeless one 
to follow to a satisfactory determination. 

This story would be interesting enough if it ended here, 
but it does not and its sequel is quite remarkable. In 
May, 1906, I learned that the original copper plate of the 
Hiller etching of Washington was in existence. That it 
had been found lying upon a beam in the attic of an old 
house located on Turner street, in Salem, and although 
somewhat corroded, yet yielded a fair impression. Thus 
the past is brought up to the present and through the 
courtesy of its owner, Mr. Albert I. Whipple, the plate 
has been secured to illustrate this monograph, so that one 
hundred and thirteen years after its execution, restrike 
impressions from the original plate are published in the 
birthplace of the youthful engraver as a fitting memoiial 
of him. Of original prints the four mentioned in the text 
are the only ones so far known. 



184 




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